Register Now for the 2005 AAAS Annual Meeting:
The Nexus: Where Science Meets Society

It's time to mark the dates for celebrating the World Year of Physics, taking the kids on a scientific scavenger hunt, and hearing scientists discuss everything from revolutionary air travel to the role of whales in supplying energy in the deep sea. Registration is open for the 2005 AAAS Annual Meeting, which takes place 17-21 February in Washington, DC.

Five days of lectures, symposia and seminars, as well as free events and other activities, will address the meeting's theme, "The Nexus: Where Science Meets Society."

The impact on the public perception of science by the popular television series, "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" and ways to restore the health and resources of the Chesapeake Bay are only a few of the topics that leading scientists, educators and policy-makers will explore. Sessions mirror the meeting's theme -- The Nexus: Where Science Meets Society -- and cover compelling issues ranging from research without informed consent and the safety of the U.S. food supply to the future of newborn screening and adaptation to climate change. International subjects include science in the Arab world, public perceptions of biotechnology in 10 countries, and scientific exchange in an insecure environment.

With 2005 declared the World Year of Physics, the AAAS Meeting also will provide insights on physical science frontiers and the latest findings from planetary explorations. Wide-ranging explorations of nanotechnology and where biology meets physics are also highlighted. Free, public events will again be a key attraction. During Family Science Days on the exhibit floor, kids and adults can enjoy hands-on workshops, demonstrations, and an interactive scavenger hunt. A suite of career-enhancing workshops will culminate in the Science Career Fair.

Young and senior scientists alike will take part in a physics-themed reception in honor of the 2005 World Year of Physics. This and other meeting activities will celebrate the centennial anniversary of Albert Einstein's "miraculous year," in which he published three important papers describing ideas that have since influenced all of modern physics.

Opportunities for teachers include a special two-day seminar, "Forum for School Science," and a host of career workshops. For the first time, teachers can earn continuing education credits at the meeting.

Plenary lectures feature well-known speakers. Confirmed are Steven Squyres of Cornell University, scientific principal investigator for the Mars Exploration Rover Project; Mamphela Ramphele, managing director of the World Bank; and Julie Louise Gerberding, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

For details and the latest meeting information, go to the 2005 AAAS Meeting Web site.

Or register online.

— Kathy Wren

16 September 2004